Revisiting the Loving Husband World
It’s crazy how much fun I’m having going back to one of my favorite worlds, James and Sarah Wentworth’s world in the Loving Husband Series. And here I thought the story was done with Her Loving Husband’s Return! Where Down Salem Way was a prequel, the new book, titled The Duchess of Idaho, is a sequel, as in it takes place after Her Loving Husband’s Return. Our favorite witch, Olivia, is there to lend a hand as she helps James and Sarah’s daughter, Grace, unravel her own mystery.
The historical background for this story is the Oregon Trail in mid 19th century America. As you can imagine, I have a lot to learn. Here I go again choosing to write a novel set during a time I know nothing about. Luckily for me, I love learning about history.
Beginning the Research Process By Reading
I’m in the early stages of research at this point. I’ve started taking notes and I’ve found a number of scholarly articles that are helping me gain a general overview of what life was like for the pioneers on the Oregon Trail. One novel I’ve read so far is A Light in the Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick. I learned a lot about life on the Oregon Trail from the book, which was helpful.
Another book I’ll be reading to for inspiration is The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck, which examines Buck’s experience traveling the Oregon Trail, yes, in a covered wagon, in present-day America.
I’m also looking forward to reading the classic O Pioneers by Willa Cather along with the companion book, My Antonia, as well as The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West by one of my favorite historians, David McCullough. Though Cather’s novels and McCullough’s book aren’t specifically about the Oregon Trail, I think they’ll shed interesting insight into the pioneering spirit.
What prompts people to leave behind everything and everyone they know for a dangerous journey and a new life faced with hardships? I’m looking forward to learning the answer to that question through my research into life on the Oregon Trail.